Will my new husband qualify for SS survivor benefits if we remarry after age 70?
I'm 72 and have been receiving my Social Security retirement benefits since turning 70. I'm planning to remarry my ex-husband next year (we were previously married but not for the required 10 years for spousal benefits). He's only earned about 20 credits in the Social Security system and hopes to work when he returns to the States, but he has multiple myeloma so his ability to work is uncertain. My main concern is what happens if I pass away first. If we're married for at least 9 months before I die, would he be entitled to receive any survivor benefits based on my work record? And if so, what percentage of my benefit would he receive? I have a fairly substantial benefit amount (around $3,400/month) and I'm worried about his financial security given his limited work history and health condition. I've tried looking on the SSA website but found the survivor benefit rules confusing when it comes to remarriage later in life. Any insights would be greatly appreciated!
18 comments
Join the conversation
Austin Leonard
Yes, if you're married for at least 9 months before you pass away, your husband would be entitled to 100% of your Social Security benefit as a widower. The 9-month duration requirement is specifically for survivor benefits (unless death is accidental or occurs in the line of duty). This is different from the 10-year marriage requirement, which only applies to divorced spouse benefits. The fact that he has limited credits doesn't matter for survivor benefits - he would receive your full benefit amount if he's at full retirement age when he claims. If he claims earlier (as early as 60), he would receive a reduced percentage.
0 coins
Sophie Duck
•Thank you so much for this clear explanation! That's a relief to know he could receive my full benefit amount. Just to clarify - would he receive this instead of any benefit he might qualify for on his own record, or would he get the higher of the two?
0 coins
Anita George
my sister was in kinda the same situation but her husband died 8 months after they got married and she couldnt get nothing!! make sure u stay married at least 9 months or he gets ZERO
0 coins
Abigail Spencer
•That's not entirely accurate. There are exceptions to the 9-month rule if death is accidental or occurs in military service. Also, if they were previously married and divorced, those marriage months don't count toward the 9-month requirement - it has to be 9 continuous months in the current marriage. Just want to make sure we're giving OP the full picture here.
0 coins
Logan Chiang
When I got remarried at 67, I checked all this stuff too. The person above is right - your husband would get 100% of your benefit if he waits until his full retirement age to claim survivor benefits. If he has enough credits to qualify for his own retirement benefit eventually (needs 40 credits total), he would get the HIGHER of either his own benefit or your survivor benefit, not both combined. The 9-month marriage duration is definitely required though. Make sure you have proper documentation of your marriage date just in case.
0 coins
Sophie Duck
•Thanks for confirming! He's unlikely to ever qualify for his own benefit since he only has 20 credits now and is dealing with health issues. It sounds like the survivor benefit would be his only option, so I'm glad to hear it would be 100% of my benefit.
0 coins
Isla Fischer
HAVE YOU TRIED CALLING SOCIAL SECURITY?????? I spent 3 HOURS on hold last week trying to get a straight answer about my widower benefits and never got through!!! The website says one thing, the pamphlets say another, and when you finally talk to someone they tell you something completely different!! This system is BROKEN!!
0 coins
Miles Hammonds
•I had the same frustrating experience trying to get through to SSA about my mother's survivor benefits. After multiple failed attempts, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in under 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU It was worth it to finally speak with someone who could answer my specific questions about the 9-month marriage rule and how it applied to my mom's situation. Definitely better than spending hours on hold only to get disconnected.
0 coins
Ruby Blake
Is your ex receiving SS benefits from another country? I'm wondering because you mentioned him returning to the USA. If he has foreign benefits, there might be some offset rules that apply, depending on the country and whether there's a totalization agreement. My husband had benefits from Canada and it affected his survivor benefits when I checked with SSA.
0 coins
Sophie Duck
•That's a good question - he lived in the UK for about 15 years and might qualify for some small pension there, but I don't think he ever applied for it. I hadn't even considered how that might complicate things. I'll definitely need to look into this aspect too.
0 coins
Anita George
wait doesnt he have to be 62 to get survivors benefits?? my neighbor got widowed but they made her wait til 60 to claim anything
0 coins
Austin Leonard
•Your neighbor's situation is correct - survivor benefits can be claimed as early as age 60 (or 50 if disabled). But the benefit amount is reduced if claimed before full retirement age. At full retirement age (currently 67 for people born in 1960 or later), the survivor gets 100% of the deceased spouse's benefit amount. Since the OP and her ex are both over 70, age requirements won't be an issue in their case. The key requirement is the 9-month marriage duration before death occurs.
0 coins
Abigail Spencer
One thing no one has mentioned yet - if your future husband has a government pension from work not covered by Social Security (like some state or federal jobs), the Government Pension Offset provision might reduce any survivor benefits he could receive. That's something to consider if he worked in non-SS-covered employment. Also, keep in mind that survivor benefits are different from spousal benefits. The 10-year marriage rule only applies to divorced spouse benefits, not to widow(er) benefits as others have correctly pointed out.
0 coins
Sophie Duck
•He never worked in government - his work was mostly in private industry when he was in the US, and then various jobs overseas. So it sounds like the GPO wouldn't apply in our case. I appreciate you mentioning this detail though!
0 coins
Isla Fischer
i just read on facebook that they might be changing these rules soon!! something about budget cuts to social security in 2026??
0 coins
Abigail Spencer
•That information is not accurate. While there are always discussions about Social Security's long-term funding, no specific changes to survivor benefit eligibility rules have been announced for 2026. The Social Security trust fund projections are regularly updated, but major eligibility changes would require Congressional action and would typically be announced well in advance. I'd recommend getting information directly from ssa.gov rather than social media posts.
0 coins
Austin Leonard
One more important consideration - if your future husband might qualify for disability benefits based on his multiple myeloma, he should look into that as soon as possible. SSDI has the same credit requirements as retirement (40 credits), but there's a recent work test too (20 credits in the last 10 years). With only 20 credits total, he might not qualify, but it's worth checking. If he does get approved for disability before your passing, it could affect how survivor benefits work in his case. Disabled widow(er)s can claim as early as age 50 with less reduction.
0 coins
Sophie Duck
•Thank you for this suggestion. His health has been stable with treatment, but we should definitely explore the disability option if things worsen. I'll encourage him to check his eligibility once we're married.
0 coins